Buzz Peterson has developed a reputation as one Arena. In each of his seasons in Knoxville, Tennessee
of the great young teachers in college basketball has ranked among the top three attendance leaders in
today. Entering his fourth season at the University of the SEC and has also ranked among the national
Tennessee, Peterson has built the Vols into one of the leaders in attendance.
most exciting and dangerous teams in the Peterson was named the 16th head coach in
Southeastern Conference while bringing energy and Tennessee history on April 4, 2001, after leading the
enthusiasm to Knoxville. University of Tulsa to a 26-11 record and a National
In his three seasons at Tennessee, Peterson has Invitation Tournament championship during the
directed the Vols to a pair of postseason tournament 2000-01 season. In eight seasons as a head coach he
appearances and wins over teams ranked among the has recorded a 152-92 career record.
top five in the nation. “This is a dream opportunity for the Peterson fam-
Individually, players have flourished under
Peterson’s leadership. Five players have earned All- Buzz ily,” he said. “I count my blessings every day that I am
able to come to work here. The men’s basketball pro-
SEC honors during Peterson’s tenure, including two
first team all-conference picks and the SEC Player of
Peterson gram at the University of Tennessee couldn’t be a bet-
ter situation for our family. This athletic department as
the Year. Head Coach a whole, as well as this university, is well recognized
Ron Slay was named the 2003 SEC Player of the North Carolina 1986 throughout the nation. I’m excited to be here, and I am
Year and earned third team All-America honors after looking forward to the opportunity to working with
leading the SEC in scoring with 21.2 points per these young men and winning championships.”
game. Vincent Yarbrough was a 2002 first team All- Winning has been a trademark of Peterson’s on
SEC selection after finishing second in the league One of Peterson’s most impressive coaching jobs every level. In high school, he was named the top
scoring race with 18.1 points per game. came during the 2002-03 season when no one picked player in the state of North Carolina. In college, at the
Marcus Haislip, the 13th overall pick in the 2002 Tennessee to finish better than fifth in the SEC. But, University of North Carolina, he was a part of the Tar
NBA Draft, earned second team All-SEC honors as a when the smoke cleared from a season that saw the Heels’ 1982 NCAA championship team. As an assis-
junior in 2002. Scooter McFadgon ranked fourth in conference finish No. 1 in the Ratings Percentage tant coach he helped direct Appalachian State, East
the league scoring race in 2004 with 17.9 points per Index, the Vols’ 9-7 league record ranked in a tie with Tennessee State, North Carolina State and Vanderbilt
game while earning consensus second team all-con- Western Division champion Mississippi State for the to a combined 154-117 record and appearances in the
ference honors. fourth-best mark in the entire conference. NCAA Tournament and NIT. As a head coach he has
C.J. Watson was named to the 2003 SEC All- Fans throughout East Tennessee have taken directed teams to NCAA Tournament appearances,
Freshman team after his 5.44 assists per game against notice of what is happening in Thompson-Boling conference championships and a National Invitation
SEC foes led the league. Tournament title.
31
He has coached eight teams to postseason tour- want them to know me only as a guy on the floor who tory to win 20 games in his first season at the school.
nament action, including three NCAA Tournament is yelling at them trying to motivate them or as a guy With a team that featured just two seniors and
appearances and five National Invitation Tournament behind a desk. I want them to know me as a person. If one junior, Peterson directed Tulsa to its eighth NIT
appearances. Additionally he played in four NCAA they have a problem socially, academically or basket- appearance. After defeating California-Irvine in the
Tournaments at North Carolina. He has won confer- ball-wise, I want to be that father figure that they can first round, Tulsa went on the road to earn wins at
ence championships (as the head coach at come to and talk about it.” Minnesota and Mississippi State to gain a trip to New
Appalachian State), an NCAA championship (as a Building unity on the team is a high priority for York City for the NIT Final Four. In the semifinals
player at North Carolina) and an NIT championship Peterson, but just as important is building a unity the Golden Hurricane held on for a 72-64 win over
(as the head coach at Tulsa). between the University of Tennessee basketball pro- Memphis and then in the finals, Tulsa cruised to a 79-
Much of Peterson’s success can be attributed to gram and the Knoxville community. 60 win over Alabama.
the influences in his career. As a player he played “Along with team unity, I think it is important Prior to taking over the head coaching reins at
with the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Sam that we are active in the community; that everybody Tulsa, Peterson spent four seasons as the head coach
Perkins, Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith. He has gets to know the student-athletes on the men’s bas- at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. He
also been exposed to outstanding coaches like Dean ketball team and everybody gets to know the basket- led the Mountaineers to a 79-39 overall record and a
Smith, Roy Williams, Eddie Fogler, Bill Guthridge, ball staff.” 47-14 mark in the Southern Conference. In each of
Les Robinson, Tom Apke and Jan van Breda Kolff. In 2003 the basketball team was named his last three seasons at Appalachian State the
Another thing that has made Peterson so suc- Tennessee’s Men’s Community Service Team of the Mountaineers either won or shared Southern
cessful on and off the court is his care for his players. Year by UT’s CHAMPS/Life Skills office. Watson Conference North Division titles.
The Asheville, N.C., native has placed a high priori- was named co-Male Community Service Student- Peterson led the Mountaineers to 20 or more
ty on the relationships he has gained through his Athlete of the Year, an honor he shared with base- wins and appearances in the Southern Conference
experiences and continues to build relationships with ball’s Luke Hochevar. Tournament championship game in each of his last
his players. At Tulsa, Peterson led the Golden Hurricane to a three seasons at Appalachian State. The
“I love to have the players over to the house and 26-11 overall record and a second-place finish in the Mountaineers won the Southern Conference
challenge them to a game of pool or ping pong. I want Western Athletic Conference with a 10-6 league Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
them to know me as a person just like they are. I don’t record. He became just the fourth coach in Tulsa his- in the 1999-2000 season.
In 1996-97 he took over a program that had won
just eight games the previous year and led ASU to a
14-14 record. The following year the Mountaineers
posted a 21-8 record and Peterson received the first
of two Southern Conference Coach of the Year
awards. Success under Peterson continued at
Appalachian State as he led the Mountaineers to a 21-
8 record in 1999 and a 23-9 mark in 2000, with a trip
to the NCAA Tournament. Following the 2000 sea-
son he was named the conference coach of the year
for the second time.
Peterson began his coaching career as an assis-
tant at Appalachian State where he served the 1988
and 1989 seasons as an assistant under Tom Apke.
The Mountaineers won 36 of their 59 games (61.1
percent) in his two seasons, including a 20-8 mark in
1989.
He joined Les Robinson’s East Tennessee State
coaching staff in time for the 1990 season where he
helped direct the Bucs to a 27-7 record. ETSU won
the Southern Conference regular season and tourna-
ment championships in his only season in Johnson
City. The Bucs earned just the third trip to the NCAA
Tournament in school history, falling to No. 4-seeded
Georgia Tech, 99-83, in a first-round game played at
Thompson-Boling Arena.
Peterson followed Robinson to North Carolina
State the next season where he helped lead the
Wolfpack to a 20-11 record in 1991 and an appear-
ance in the NCAA Tournament.
Peterson got his first taste of Southeastern
Conference basketball in 1993 when he joined Jan
van Breda Kolff’s staff as associate head coach at
Vanderbilt. During his three seasons in Nashville, the
Buzz and Jan Peterson with their children, Nicole, Olivia and Rob. Commodores registered a 51-41 overall record and
32
made two appearances in the National Invitation
Tournament. The Commodores advanced to the
championship game of the 1994 NIT before falling “I believe that, as a college coach, you
73-80 to Villanova. should treat your players as human
One of the most decorated high school players in
the state of North Carolina, Peterson was a Parade
beings first, students second and
and McDonald’s All-America selection com- athletes third.”
ing out of Asheville High School. He was — Buzz Peterson
named the North Carolina Player of the
Year and Athlete of the Year as a senior.
The runner-up for both awards was
future college roommate Michael Peterson’s Career Data
Jordan. Coaching Experience
The Asheville, N.C., native earned 1987-89 Appalachian State
four monograms at North Carolina, serv- Assistant Coach
1989-90 East Tennessee State
ing as a team captain during his senior
Assistant Coach
season in 1985. During his four seasons 1990-93 North Carolina State
in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels captured Assistant Coach
four Atlantic Coast Conference 1993-96 Vanderbilt
Associate Head Coach
championships and one ACC 1996-00 Appalachian State
Tournament title while Head Coach
recording a 115-22 record. 2000-01 Tulsa
Head Coach
A member of UNC’s 2001- Tennessee
1982 national champi- Head Coach
onship team, Peterson
was voted the
Head Coaching Record
Outstanding Senior Year School Overall Conference
by his teammates 1996-97 Appalachian State 14-14 .500 8-6 .571
following the 1997-98 Appalachian State 21-8 .724 13-2 .867
1998-99 Appalachian State 21-8 .724 13-3 .813
1984-85 season.
1999-00 Appalachian State 23-9 .742 13-3 .813
Following his 2000-01 Tulsa 26-11 .722 10-6 .625
collegiate career, 2001-02 Tennessee 15-16 .484 7-9 .438
Peterson was draft- 2002-03 Tennessee 17-12 .586 9-7 .563
2003-04 Tennessee 15-14 .517 7-9 .438
ed by the Totals 8 seasons 152-92 .623
C l e v e l a n d
Cavaliers in the
at Appalachian State: 79-39 (4 years)
1985 NBA draft. at Tulsa: 26-11 (1 year)
He also spent one at Tennessee: 47-42 (3 years)
year as a scout for
Bob Gibbons’ All-
Coaching Honors
Star Sports recruit- 1998 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
ing service before 2000 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
beginning his
coaching career at
Personal Information
Appalachian State. Full Name: Robert Bower Peterson Jr.
A 1986 North Born: May 17, 1963
Carolina graduate Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Family: Wife - Jan
with a bachelor’s Daughters - Nicole and Olivia
degree in geography, Son - Rob
Peterson and his wife, College: North Carolina 1986
Bachelor’s degree in geography
Jan, have two daugh-
High School: Asheville High School 1981
ters, Nicole and Olivia,
and a son, Rob.
Peterson’s father, Bob, is The Nickname
Born Robert Bower Peterson, Jr., he was given the nickname
a 1959 Tennessee gradu-
“Buzz” when he was two years old by his sister Cindy. She
ate with a degree in retail- got the name from the television show “The Wonderful
ing from the college of World of Brother Buzz” that was on during the 1950s and
1960s. “Buzz was a nickname given to me by my sister. It
business.
was a little bee that used to fly around. That was her favorite
cartoon and it stuck with me forever. I’ve had it for 37 years
and I can’t get rid of it.”
33
The Peterson Resume
8
1977-81 Asheville High School Boone, the Mountaineers won 20 or more games in
A Parade and McDonald’s All-America who was each of the next three seasons ... His teams won or
selected to the McDonald’s “Dream Team” ... shared Southern Conference Northern Division titles
Honored as one of the nation’s top student-athletes in each of his last three years at Appalachian State ...
with the Golden Achievement Award in 1981 ... In 2000 the Mountaineers received their first NCAA
Named North Carolina Player of the Year and Athlete Tournament appearance since 1979 after winning the
of the Year over Michael Jordan for both awards ... SoCon Tournament ... ASU reached the SoCon
Earned Western North Carolina and Western 4A Tournament championship game in each of his last
Player of the Year honors as a senior ... Played for the three seasons in Boone ... His 14 wins in his first sea-
South team at the National Sports Festival in high son were most by a first-year head coach at
school and college, earning a silver medal in 1981 Appalachian State since 1943.
and a gold in 1982 after his freshman year of college
... Also played in the McDonald’s Capital Classic, the 0
2000-01 Tulsa
McDonald’s All-American East-West Game and the (Head Coach)
All-American Cage Classic. Recorded a 26-11 record in one season at Tulsa ...
Led the Golden Hurricane to the National Invitation
8
1981-85 North Carolina Tournament title ... Won the NIT championship with
During his four seasons in Chapel Hill the Tar Heels a 79-60 win over Alabama ... En route to the NIT
recorded a 115-22 record ... Was a member of North title, the Hurricane registered wins over UC Irvine, at
Buzz Peterson and his college coach,
Carolina’s 1982 NCAA Championship team ... UNC Dean Smith. Minnesota, at Mississippi State and against Memphis
won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season in New York City ... Notched career win No. 100 at
championship four times and the ACC Tournament 1987-89 Appalachian State
8 the WAC Tournament when Tulsa defeated UTEP in
once ... Voted the Outstanding Senior by his team- (Assistant Coach) the semifinals ... Became just the fourth coach in
mates after the 1985 season ... Saw action in 119 The Mountaineers were 36-21 in his two seasons as school history to win 20 games in his first season at
career games, playing primarily at the shooting guard an assistant coach to Tom Apke ... ASU finished the Tulsa ... Named the 27th head coach in Tulsa history.
position but also playing some point guard ... Was a 1989 season with a 20-8 overall record and an 8-6
part-time starter as a sophomore and senior ... As a mark in the Southern Conference. 0
2001-03 Tennessee
sophomore he hit nine straight field goals in the sec- (Head Coach)
ond half of a nationally televised, come-from-behind 1989-90 East Tennessee State
9 Took a team that was picked to finish no better than
win over LSU ... Scored a career-high 19 points (Assistant Coach) fifth in the SEC East to a 9-7 league record which
against Clemson as a junior ... A career 74 percent Joined Les Robinson’s coaching staff in Johnson was the fourth-best in the entire SEC in 2003 ...
free throw shooter ... Received his degree in geogra- City prior to the 1990 season ... The Buccaneers fin- Directed the Vols to National Invitation Tournament
phy in 1986. ished the season with a 27-7 overall record and a 12- appearances in 2003 and 2004 ... Led the Vols to their
2 mark in the Southern Conference ... The Bucs won first win over a Top 5 opponent since 1993 when he
8
1985-87 Professional the SoCon regular season and conference tournament directed the Vols to a 66-59 win over No. 4 Florida
Drafted in the seventh round of the 1985 NBA Draft titles, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament ... on Feb. 15, 2003 ... Helped develop Ron Slay into the
by the Cleveland Cavaliers ... Spent the 1986-87 sea- On the bench when the Bucs visited Tennessee’s 2003 SEC Player of the Year ... Vincent Yarbrough
son as a scout for Bob Gibbons’ All-Star Sports Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 28, 1989. was a first team All-SEC selection while Marcus
recruiting service. Haislip was a second team pick in 2002 ... In 2002,
two Vols were selected among the first 33 players
9
1990-93 North Carolina State
picked in the NBA draft, including lottery pick
(Assistant Coach)
Marcus Haislip.
Followed Les Robinson to Raleigh, N.C., where the
Wolfpack was 40-48 in his three seasons ... In his
first season at NC State the Wolfpack registered a 20-
11 mark and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
9
1993-96 Vanderbilt
(Associate Head Coach)
Joined Jan van Breda Kolff’s coaching staff at
Vanderbilt ... In three seasons at Vanderbilt the
Commodores were 51-41 ... Helped Vandy to two
National Invitation Tournament appearances (1994
and 1996) ... The Commodores were 20-12 in 1993-
94 and advanced to the NIT championship game in
New York City.
0
1996-00 Appalachian State
(Head Coach)
Led the Mountaineers to a 79-39 overall record and a
47-14 SoCon mark in four seasons in Boone ...
Named the 17th head basketball coach in ASU histo-
ry on April 11, 1996 ... Named the Southern
Buzz Peterson and Michael Jordan Conference Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2000 ... Buzz Peterson along with East Tennessee
at Peterson’s wedding in 1990. After recording a 14-14 record in his first season in native and Vol fan Kenny Chesney.
34
Chris Ferguson
Associate Head Coach
Cumberland 1981
Chris Ferguson, who is entering his
eighth season on the Tennessee coaching
staff and his fourth with head coach Buzz
Peterson, was promoted to associate head
coach in June 2003.
Ferguson, whose relationship with
Peterson dates back to the 1988 and 1989 seasons when they served as
assistants together at Appalachian State, served four seasons as an assistant
coach on Jerry Green’s staff at UT and then two years for Peterson before
being promoted.
In his seven seasons at Tennessee, the Vols have received invitations to
four NCAA Tournaments and two National Invitation Tournaments in addi-
tion to winning two SEC Eastern Division crowns and one overall
Southeastern Conference championship.
Ferguson has worked with Tennessee’s talented backcourt players,
including All-SEC selections Brandon Wharton and Tony Harris.
Ferguson first came to Tennessee prior to the 1997-98 season after six
years on Bill Foster’s staff at Virginia Tech.
While at Virginia Tech, Ferguson helped guide the Hokies to 63 wins in
his last three seasons there, including a 23-6 mark in 1995-96 that includ-
ed a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies amassed a school-record 25
wins in 1994-95 and the National Invitation Tournament championship.
After working for Green during the 1986-87 season at UNC Asheville,
the Hendersonville, N.C., native coached under Tom Apke at Appalachian
State for four years prior to his appointment at Virginia Tech. He launched
his coaching career at Freedom High in Morganton, N.C., under head coach
Terry Rogers.
Ferguson was a four-year letterman, lettering two years at Central
Wesleyan (S.C.) College and two years at Cumberland (Ky.) College. He
had the distinction of playing in the NAIA Tournament at both schools.
Ferguson and his wife, Mary, have two children, Brian and Crystal.
Ferguson’s Personal Data
Hometown: Hendersonville, N.C.
Family: Wife - Mary
Son - Brian
Daughter - Crystal
College: Cumberland (Ky.) College 1981
High School: Hendersonville (N.C.) High School
Playing Experience: Central Wesleyan, 1976-78
Cumberland College, 1979-81
Coaching Experience: Assistant Coach, Freedom (N.C.) High School, 1983-87;
Assistant Coach, UNC Asheville, 1987-88; Assistant Coach,
Appalachian State, 1988-91; Assistant Coach, Virginia Tech,
1991-97; Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 1997-2003; Associate
Head Coach, Tennessee, 2003-Present.
Chris and Mary Ferguson
Ed Conroy
Assistant Coach
The Citadel 1989
Ed Conroy is in his fourth season at the
University of Tennessee and his second as
assistant coach. After spending his first two
seasons at UT as the director of basketball
operations, he moved into an assistant
coaching role during the summer of 2003.
Conroy came to Tennessee in 2001 after serving as the director of bas-
ketball operations on Buzz Peterson’s coaching staff at the University of
Tulsa for the 2000-01 campaign.
Prior to joining Peterson’s staff at Tulsa, Conroy spent three years as the
head coach at Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. In three seasons
at Francis Marion, Conroy recorded a 41-40 overall record.
In his first season at Francis Marion he led the Patriots to a 16-11 record,
which was an improvement of 13 wins from the previous season and
ranked as the biggest turnaround in NCAA Divisions I and II that year.
Picked to finish last in the Peach Belt Athletic Conference that season, the
Patriots placed in second place. His team’s accomplishments netted Conroy
the 1998 conference coach of the year honors.
Before taking over the head coaching reins at Francis Marion, Conroy
spent three years (1994-97) as an assistant coach at Furman and one year
(1993-94) at Virginia Military Institute. He spent three years (1990-93) on
Les Robinson’s North Carolina State coaching staff that also included
Peterson and Al Daniel.
A 1989 graduate from The Citadel with a bachelor’s degree in business
administration, Conroy was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. As a sen-
ior in 1989 he was selected as a team captain. Conroy attained the rank of
Lt. Colonel in the Corps of Cadets, the highest rank ever achieved by a bas-
ketball player at The Citadel.
Conroy and his wife, Ginny, have two sons, Riley and Hunt, and a
daughter, Hannah.
Conroy’s Personal Data
Hometown: Davenport, Iowa
Family: Wife - Ginny
Sons - Riley and Hunt
Daughter - Hannah
College: The Citadel 1989
High School: Assumption High School
Playing Experience: The Citadel 1985-89
Coaching Experience: Assistant Coach, North Carolina State, 1990-93; Assistant
Coach, Virginia Military Institute, 1993-94; Assistant Coach,
Furman, 1994-97; Head Coach, Francis Marion Univ., 1997-
2000; Director of Basketball Operations, Tulsa, 2000-01;
Director of Operations, Tennessee, 2001-03; Assistant Coach,
Tennessee, 2003-Present.
Ed and Ginny Conroy with their sons
Riley and Hunt and daughter Hannah.
Chuck Benson
Assistant Coach
Carson-Newman 1991
Chuck Benson is entering his second
season as an assistant on Buzz Peterson’s
coaching staff at the University of
Tennessee.
The Newport, Tenn., native is no
stranger to Tennessee after serving one
season as an assistant coach on Wade Houston’s staff (1993-94) and then
two years as an administrative assistant (1994-96) under Kevin O’Neill.
A 1991 graduate of Carson-Newman College, Benson came to UT after
spending seven years (1996-2003) as the head coach at Martin Methodist
College.
Taking over a program that had endured 10 consecutive losing seasons
and was coming off a 7-26 campaign, Benson quickly changed the Red
Hawks’ fortunes. Winning 12 games his first season, by his third season he
gave Martin Methodist its first winning season in more than a dozen years.
During his time in Pulaski, the Red Hawks recorded a 137-95 record,
had four straight seasons with at least 21 wins, made three straight appear-
ances in the NAIA National Tournament, advanced to the round of 16 two
times and four players earned All-America honors.
Benson also has gained collegiate coaching experience at Lincoln
Memorial University (1991-92) and Carson-Newman (1992-93).
Along with his father, Charlie, Benson co-founded the Tennessee
Travelers, an AAU basketball program in 1988. Benson worked as an assis-
tant coach and as a head coach for several of the Travelers’ teams, which
feature different age-group squads, for three seasons before becoming head
coach at Morristown Covenant Academy for the 1990-91 season.
Benson has a daughter, Abby.
Benson’s Personal Data
Hometown: Newport, Tenn.
Family: Daughter - Abby
College: Carson Newman College 1991
High School: Cocke County High School 1987
Coaching Experience: Head Coach, Covenant Academy, 1990-91; Graduate Assistant
Coach, Lincoln Memorial University, 1991-92; Volunteer
Assistant Coach, Carson-Newman College, 1992-93; Assistant
Coach, Tennessee, 1993-94; Administrative Assistant, Tennessee,
1994-96; Head Coach, Martin Methodist College, 1996-03;
Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 2003-Present.
Chuck Benson and his daughter, Abby.
Al Daniel
Director of Basketball
Operations
Furman 1979
Al Daniel is entering his fourth season
at the University of Tennessee. It is his
second season as the director of basket-
ball operations after spending two years
as an assistant coach.
A 20-year veteran of collegiate coaching, Daniel came to Knoxville
after spending the 2000-01 season at the University of Tulsa where he was
a part of the Golden Hurricane's NIT championship team.
His one-year stint at Tulsa marked a return to coaching for Daniel after
spending three years as the associate director of Howell Sports
Management, Inc.
Before taking a break from the coaching profession, Daniel spent six
seasons (1990-96) as a member of Les Robinson's coaching staff at North
Carolina State. Joining him on the Wolfpack coaching staff from 1990-93
were Buzz Peterson and Ed Conroy.
Following the 1990-91 season he was promoted to associate head coach,
a position he held for the next five seasons.
Daniel began his coaching career with a 10-year stint at Furman
University where he spent the first nine seasons as an assistant before being
promoted to associate head coach.
A two-time All-Southern Conference selection at Furman, Daniel aver-
aged 19.0 points in his two-year career for the Paladins. As a junior in 1978
he led Furman to the Southern Conference championship. Daniel, who fin-
ished his career with 1,122 points to rank 19th on the school's all-time scor-
ing list, poured in 29 points in leading the Paladins to an 83-70 win over
North Carolina in 1979.
Following his playing career, Daniel was elected to the athletics hall of
fame at Anderson Junior College and Furman University.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in political science from Furman in
1979, Daniel was a fourth-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs in the 1979
NBA Draft.
Daniel’s Personal Data
Hometown: Saluda, S.C.
College: Furman 1979
High School: Saluda (S.C.) High School
Playing Experience: Anderson Junior College, 1975-77
Furman, 1977-79
Coaching Experience: Assistant Coach, Furman, 1980-90; Associate Head Coach,
Furman, 1989-90; Assistant Coach, North Carolina State,
1990-91; Associate Head Coach, North Carolina State, 1991-
96; Assistant Coach, Tulsa, 2000-01; Assistant Coach,
Tennessee, 2001-03; Director of Basketball Operations,
Tennessee, 2003-Present.
Support Staff
Dr. Val Gene Chad Newman tied the school record for most steals in a single
game with seven thefts against Florida (March 11,
Iven Associate Trainer
1988) and UAB (Dec. 20, 1988). His 66 steals as
Team Physician Tennessee 1994
a senior in 1989 still ranks third on Tennessee’s
all-time lists. The 6-foot-3 Swearengen averaged
Chattanooga native
Dr. Val Gene Iven is 9.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in his two seasons in
Chad Newman is an
in his 12th year as Team Knoxville.
Associate Trainer on the
Physician for UT men’s Following his career at Tennessee,
men’s athletic training
athletics. Swearengen played six years professionally in
staff. Newman directs the training efforts on
The Pond Creek, Okla., native serves a dual Europe. He returned to the University of
behalf of the Vol basketball squad in addition to
appointment with athletics and the university’s Tennessee to complete his undergraduate work in
working with Tennessee’s men’s tennis and golf
Student Health Center. 1997 and then earned a master’s degree in sports
teams.
Iven earned his B.S. at Oklahoma State administration in 1998.
Newman, who first joined the Tennessee
University in 1985. He received his M.D. in 1989
training staff in a full-time role in 1997, was no
from the University of Oklahoma College of
stranger to the UT training room, having served as
Medicine. He was accepted as the first Primary
a volunteer student trainer and a graduate assistant Troy Wills
Care Fellow at the University of Oklahoma and
before his appointment. Assistant Strength &
completed the year of specialty training in 1993.
Newman earned his B.S. in exercise science Conditioning Coach
He also has obtained a Certificate of Added
from UT in 1994 and completed his master’s in Emory & Henry 2000
Qualifications in Sports Medicine.
kinesiology in May 1997.
A member of the American Board of Family
A member of the National Athletic Trainers Troy Wills joined
Practice, the American College of Sports
Association (NATA) and the American College of Johnny Long’s Strength &
Medicine, the American Medical Society of Sports
Sports Medicine (ACSM), he enjoys participating Conditioning staff in
Medicine, Iven provides event coverage for all
in extreme sports and watching Urban Cowboy on January 2003 and has been promoted to Assistant
men’s sports and is responsible for the sports med-
DVD. Newman is married to the former Stacey Strength & Conditioning coach.
icine/training staff evaluation, treatment and reha-
Perry. The couple has a daughter, Katherine. Wills, a native of Pocahontas, Va., is the pri-
bilitation with Associate Trainer Chad Newman.
A annual lecturer at the SEC Sports Medicine mary strength coach for men’s basketball and the
Symposium on behalf of the SEC Team men’s tennis team while also assisting UT football
Physicians, he served the United States Olympic Clarence student-athletes with their strength and condition-
ing programs.
Committee as a volunteer physician at its
Colorado Springs Olympic training facility in
Swearengen A 2000 graduate of Emory & Henry College
Administrative in Emory, Va., with a bachelor’s degree in educa-
1996 as well as at the 1998 Goodwill Games in
New York City. Coordinator tion, Wills earned a master’s in physical education
Iven and his wife Angela have two children, Tennessee 1997 with a concentration in exercise science from East
Austyn and Carson. Tennessee State in 2003.
Former Vol guard A three-year letterman for the Emory &
Clarence Swearengen Henry football team, Wills helped lead the Wasps
returned to his alma mater prior to the 2003-04 to three Old Dominion Athletic Conference cham-
season as an administrative coordinator on the pionships. At one time Emory & Henry held a 37-
Tennessee coaching staff. game winning streak at home, the best in the
“We are glad to have Clarence as a member nation.
of our staff,” head coach Buzz Peterson said. “He
brings a lot of experience to our program and will
be a big asset in terms of community involvement, James Mitchell
on-campus recruiting and in academics. I think it
is important to have a former player involved on FCA Director
your staff. We have had a lot of good players come
through the University of Tennessee who have
gone on to become successful coaches. I want
these players to have an opportunity to be a part of
our program again.”
Swearengen, who spent the two years as the
athletics director and basketball coach at Melrose
High School in Memphis before joining the UT
staff, also assisted with the University of Memphis
basketball program where he was an administra-
tive assistant during the 1999-2000 season.
A third team All-Southeastern Conference
selection for the Vols in 1989, the Memphis native
led the Vols in assists and steals in both his junior
and senior seasons. Two times during his career he
39
Tennessee Medical Staff Office Staff
Janice Harper
Administrative Secretary
Entering her fifth season in the Tennessee
Basketball office and her third working with
with head coach Buzz Peterson is Janice
Harper. A native of Knoxville, Harper and
her husband, Darius, have two children, P.J.
and Miracle.
Dr. Russell Betcher Dr. Greg Mathien
Team Orthopedist Team Orthopedist
Janet Reynolds
Senior Secretary
Janet Reynolds is in her third year working
in the UT Basketball office and her seventh
with the University of Tennessee. The
Knoxville native has two children, a daugh-
ter, Jessica, and a son, Jared.
Dr. Michael Petty Dr. Bill Youmans
Team Chiropractor Team Orthopedist
Student Managers
Front Row (L to R): Andy Fox, Jenis Grindstaff, Ben Griffith, Brandon McCormack, Chad Richardson. Back Row (L to R): Matt Insell, Nick Kessler, Nathan Stephens,
Walt Clark, Ryan Pendleton, Brooks Savage, Cody Cantrell, Blake Cantrell, Tracie Ailshie.
40
Thornton Athletics Student Life Center
Dr. Ruth Darling ACADEMIC SUPPORT STAFF
Associate Provost /
Director of Thornton Athletics
Student Life Center
Dr. Ruth Darling was named Associate
Provost and Director of the Thornton Athletics
Student Life Center in February 2001. She
oversees the academic support programs for Fernandez West Kerry Howland
University of Tennessee student-athletes. Associate Director Asst. Dir./Lady Vols Tennis
Additionally, Dr. Darling has been Football Basketball, Softball, Swim.
appointed by the Southeastern Conference to serve as its representative on the NCAA
Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet.
Prior to her current post, she served as Director of Student Affairs and Advising
Services in the College of Arts and Sciences. There she directed the programs, faculty
advisors and staff of the College's Advising Services, a centralized advising center for
more than 6,000 undecided and pre-professional students.
Dr. Darling worked extensively with curriculum and academic policy develop-
ment, new student orientations and in areas relative to student retention, undergradu-
ate learning, and student persistence to graduation.
While serving as Director in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Darling was
active on College and University task forces and committees such as the
Jora Odom Susan Ratliff Kay Shanahan
Undergraduate Student Experience Task Force and Undergraduate Student Retention. Lady Vols Rowing, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Track, Tennis
She served on the University Advising Committee and the General Education Soccer, Track, Volleyball Swimming
Committee of the Undergraduate Council, the Exempt Staff Council, the Commission
for Women, and the Academic Integrity Committee of the Athletic Department. Dr.
Darling has received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Academic Advising and
the Mortar Board Citation for Service to the University of Tennessee. In addition, she
was nominated for induction into Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa Society
(University Leadership) and selected to attend the University of Tennessee Leadership
Institute. Dr. Darling also has received several national awards in the field of academ-
ic advising and serves as President of the National Academic Advising Association.
Dr. Darling holds a bachelor’s degree from Westminster Choir College (1975) in
Princeton, N.J., and earned master’s (1977) and doctoral (1999) degrees from the
University of Tennessee.
She and her husband, Mike Capps, have a son, Jonathan, who attends Centre David Haase Dr. Earl Schliesman Lois Prislovsky
CHAMPS/Life Skills Compliance Special Needs Program
College in Danville, Ky.
Georgia Caver Dan Carlson Lauren Mackey
Writing Center Football Lady Vols Swimming &
Coordinator Diving, Rowing, Golf
The Thornton Athletics Student Life Center, under the direction of the Provost, Rhonda Green Jeanne Bean Erika Howard
provides Tennessee student-athletes with the nation's best academic support. Administrative Assistant Administration Administration
41
University Administration
Dr. John D. Petersen The Petersens are parents of two children—
Melissa, who works in Washington, D.C., and
President Andrew, a Ph.D. student at UConn. Carol Petersen is
a former teacher.
As UT president, John Petersen is the chief
executive officer of the statewide UT system and is
headquartered in Knoxville.
“For somebody who has spent a career at pub-
lic land-grant research universities, the University of
Tennessee is probably the best place in the country to
be at this time,” Petersen says. “The state and the
institution are poised for greater things. The governor
Dr. John D. Petersen became the 23rd president “One of the most valuable assets in the univer-
is enthusiastic. I am excited about this university and
of the University of Tennessee July 1, 2004. He came sity’s portfolio is its partnership with Oak Ridge
its potential.”
to Tennessee from the University of Connecticut, National Laboratory and its role with UT-Battelle [a
where he was provost and executive vice president partnership that manages ORNL for the U.S.
for academic affairs. Department of Energy].
Petersen succeeded Interim UT President “The university’s very special relationship with
Joseph E. Johnson, who took over in August 2003. the laboratory brings opportunities to share distin-
The UT Board of Trustees selected Petersen in guished faculty and world-class facilities that con-
April 2004, concluding an unusually open search that tribute substantially to the quality of our graduates
included input from all the university’s key stake- and the state’s workforce.
holder groups and extraordinary open candidate He’s anxious to connect with UT alumni.
selection meetings. Meetings and interviews were “I think alumni are our best sources of adver-
Webcast, and the votes of committee members and tisement and enthusiasm. Even when I was a dean, I
trustees were public record. spent time talking to alumni groups whenever I was
Petersen says he’s not bothered by the public asked and I intend to do that here.”
scrutiny. If the university keeps alumni connected, “you
“Scrutiny of higher education or any institution couldn’t have better ambassadors or a better public
that receives public support is appropriate,” he says. relations program.”
“In all programs, whether academic or athletic, I
expect absolute quality and integrity.”
Not only does Petersen prize integrity, but he
also thinks university leaders should keep in mind
they are setting an example for students. “If we’re in
the business of educating youth, they should be able
to look to us as role models.”
The 56-year-old Petersen is a California native
who earned his degrees at California State University
in Los Angeles (B.S., chemistry, 1970) and the
University of California at Santa Barbara (Ph.D.,
inorganic chemistry, 1975). He began his career as an
assistant professor at Kansas State University.
His next stop was Clemson University, where
he became chemistry department head and associate
dean of the College of Sciences. In 1994, he went to
Wayne State University in Detroit as dean of the col-
lege of science. He joined the University of
Connecticut in 2000.
Petersen says he and his wife, Carol, don’t con-
template another move anytime soon. They are glad
to return to the South, remembering their 13 years in
South Carolina during his tenure at Clemson. And
being president of the University of Tennessee seems
like a perfect “fit.”
“I think this is one of the best opportunities you
could ask for,” Petersen says. The university’s close
ties to Oak Ridge National Laboratory were particu-
larly attractive to him as a chemist.
42
The Athletics Board
2004 SPRING ATHLETICS BOARD: (left to right) seated-Todd Diacon, Bill Dunne, Dan Murphy, Mike Hamilton, Anne Mayhew, Joan Cronan,
Sarah Keeton, Meghan Dodge, John Hodges, Kathleen Davis, Andrea Loughry ; standing-Johnnie Amonette, Bob Kaplan, John Collier, Jan Simek,
Ann Fairhurst, Anne Holt, Don Bosch, Emmon Love, Kenny Wolfenbarger, Ashley Robinson, Carl Hurst, John Ford, Lynn Fain, Matt Fetty, Shelley
Godwin, Ruth Darling, Chuck Smith.
THE ATHLETICS BOARD, THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
2004-2005
(Board as of June 1, 2004)
O
Ex-Officio Members Matthew Murray
Dr. John D. Petersen Research Professor, Center for
President Business and Economic Research
Ely Fly Rick Saudargas
Interim Executive Vice President Professor, Psychology
Chief Financial Officer
Donald Hodges
Dr. Loren Crabtree Associate Professor, Forestry, Wildlife &
Chancellor Fisheries Sciences
Dr. Todd Diacon Dr. Todd Diacon Jim Haslam Alumni
Head History Chairman, Athletics Board Chairman, Executive Committee Charlie Anderson
Chair, Athletics Board Knoxville
NCAA/SEC Faculty Athletics Rep. Chaz Molder Trustees
President, Student Government James Haslam II Lynn Fain
Mike Hamilton Association Chair, Executive Committee Knoxville
Director of Men’s Athletics Knoxville
Shelley Godwin Chuck Smith
Joan C. Cronan Men’s Cheerleading Representative Andrea Loughry Duluth, Ga.
Director of Women's Athletics Nashville
Matt Fetty Emmon Love
Dr. Ruth Darling Sports Club Recreation Board Johnnie Amonette Knoxville
Associate Provost Memphis
Director, Thornton Center John Ford A
Non-Alumni
President, Orange Nation Faculty Robert M. Goodfriend
Phil A. Scheurer John Collier Knoxville
Vice President, Operations TBA Professor & Head, Chemical
Student-Athlete, Women’s Athletics Engineering
Charles Peccolo Representative
Vice President, Treasurer Kathleen Davis
TBA Professor, Psychology
Sylvia Davis Student-Athlete, Men’s Athletics
Vice President, Administration and Representative Ann Fairhurst
Finance Chair, Faculty Senate Athletics Committee
Carl Hurst Professor, Consumer & Ind. Services
Kenny Wolfenbarger President, Boost-Her Club
Employee Relations Jan Simek
Council Representative Interim Dean, School of Architecture
Chuck Collins
Associate Professor, Mathematics
43
Athletic Administration
Mike Hamilton shown a great deal of interest in Hamilton’s plans for
the campus showpiece. Early improvements have
Athletics Director begun, but major renovations will not happen before
he has heard and analyzed the input from the
Tennessee family.
On his plate each day are such projects as final
construction of the McKenzie Center, the “front
door” of the athletics department, the Allan Jones
Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, the football locker
room at Neyland Stadium, as well as plans for
improvements to Thompson-Boling Arena and the
soccer, softball and baseball facilities.
The toughest part of Mike Hamilton’s first year bration of the “25 Millionth Fan” to enter Neyland
Communications -- both internal and external --
as University of Tennessee Director of Athletics may Stadium since official records keeping began.
are of extreme importance to Hamilton and his man-
have been getting his feet back on the ground. In his first full year as AD, Hamilton made a
agement staff. Tennessee’s newest athletics director
Nothing like the fulfillment of a career goal to point to be accessible to Tennessee fans, speaking to
recently renegotiated the department’s media con-
send your spirits soaring into the upper reaches of the more than 75 civic organizations, community groups
tract with Host Communications, resulting in imme-
Smoky Mountains. and university organizations and participating in
diate and substantial increases in annual income.
Fortunately for the Vols -- and for Hamilton -- he nearly 100 print, television and radio interviews.
He also initiated with women’s athletics director
suffered no such distractions and transitioned From the day of his appointment, July 1, 2003,
Joan Cronan monthly departmental staff meetings,
smoothly into an outstanding rookie campaign lead- Hamilton kept a busy schedule consistent with his
involving all athletics employees from both the
ing one of the nation’s top athletics programs. desire to run a tight and effective ship.
men’s and women’s sides to better bridge the gap
“I’ve always believed the University of Saying he was “energized” when he accepted the
between the two sectors. This move coincided with
Tennessee athletics director’s job was one of the best athletics director’s position, Hamilton continues to
his early hires and with the recent consolidation of
positions in the nation,” he said. “When you enter provide new and exciting ventures for the Volunteer
two assistant AD positions into one for marketing the
any business, most people want to achieve at the Family to experience.
entire UT athletics department.
highest level. Certainly, the athletics director’s role at He initiated a “Letterman’s Reunion Weekend,”
Also on his mind are what he identifies as “five
Tennessee provides that opportunity.” set for the football season opener Sept. 5 against
core values” that guide his daily tenure as AD:
Hamilton took the opening and ran with it. He UNLV that includes retro jerseys for the Vols as well
• Complying with NCAA and SEC rules;
wasted no time putting his imprint on the organiza- as invitations to all former Tennessee football players
• Competing for championships;
tion by naming first a chief financial officer and then and their families to return to
a director of public relations -- thus meeting a pair of Knoxville for a weekend of get-
major needs he identified for the organization when togethers and fellowship.
he accepted his new post. All part of Hamilton’s new
The former hire helped effectively cut UT’s ath- customer service platform.
letics budget by almost $2 million; the latter aided “I take the legacy of
Hamilton’s emphasis on customer service initiatives University of Tennessee athletics
by offering more personal contact and exposure to very seriously, with names like
Tennessee fans and extended national media. Nathan Dougherty, Gen. Robert
“Tennessee has a tremendous fan base, and I Neyland, Bob Woodruff, John
want to ensure we do everything we can to create a Barnhill and Doug Dickey,”
fan-friendly environment,” he said. Hamilton said. “It’s a dream job
One of Hamilton’s first tasks as athletics director for me, but also a big responsi-
was the launch of “Ask Mike,” an e-mail hotline that bility.”
allows fans quick access to Hamilton for their com- Hamilton also has begun a
ments, suggestions and concerns through the UT ath- master planning process for
letics Web site. Neyland Stadium along with fea-
Hamilton also instituted a fan information system sibility studies for Thompson-
-- both outside Neyland Stadium and within Boling Arena and Lindsey
Thompson-Boling Arena -- of booths manned by UT Nelson Stadium. The initial por-
staffers to help fans find their way around. A promo- tions of Neyland Stadium were
tional highlight of the 2003 football season was cele- built in 1921, and UT fans have
Five Core Values
• Complying with NCAA and SEC rules;
• Competing for championships;
• Running a financially sound operation;
• Graduating student-athletes; and
• Continuing a pattern of service to the community and state, with the athletics department
as a positive role model. Mike and Beth Hamilton with Matthew and Madison.
44
Athletic Administration
(VASF) alone increased from $4
million a year prior to Hamilton’s “I think Tennessee collectively
arrival to $13 million in 2003.
Total development gifts -- includ-
has the best coaches in the
ing VASF annual gifts, capital nation and an athletics staff
fund-raising, endowment and that's dedicated to supporting
gifts-in-kind -- will increase again
by $2.5 million in 2004 to better their endeavors.”
than $23 million overall. — Mike Hamilton
Hamilton was honored in the
as an associate AD, Hamilton also took advantage in
spring of 1998 when the National
2001 and 2002 of planned programs like the Athletic
Association of Athletic
Director’s Institute in Dallas. The institute, sponsored
Development Directors named
by the Division I-A Athletic Director’s Association,
him National Fundraiser of the
is a three-day seminar for associate and assistant ath-
Year.
letics directors from Division I-A programs around
The 41-year-old Hamilton,
the country who are being groomed to become ath-
who grew up in Brevard, N.C.,
letics directors.
served as assistant director of the
“Mike is somebody that has impressed me in a
Deacon Club at Wake Forest
major way,” said Dutch Baughman, the association’s
University before joining the Vols
executive director.
staff in 1992. He earlier had
“His ability to be open-minded about the institute
served as a graduate assistant in
impressed me so much that several years ago I asked
fundraising at his alma mater,
him to return to our annual meeting a few months
Clemson University.
later and relate his experiences. He stepped right up
“We interviewed and evaluat-
there and delivered an unbelievably good presenta-
ed Mike on the same basis as all
tion.”
the other candidates we measured
Hamilton is active in the community, serving as a
for the UT assignment,” said Dr.
board member for the Knoxville Area Chamber
Charles Knapp of Heidrick &
Partnership and most recently as the chair of its annu-
Struggles, a consultant firm that
al membership campaign. He also is actively
assisted UT’s search for a new
involved with Bethany Christian Services and the
athletics director. “We recom-
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. In June 2004, he was
mended him without reservation
selected to Leadership Knoxville Class of 2005.
as having all the attributes to be
Hamilton and his wife, the former Elizabeth
Mike Hamilton became Tennessee’s seventh director of athletics in July 2003. successful. Mike Hamilton really
Merrill, also from Brevard, are parents of a daughter,
measures up well with the very best
Madison, and a son, Matthew.
• Running a financially sound operation; athletics directors in the country.”
• Graduating student-athletes; and During his time in the development office at
• Continuing a pattern of service to the community Tennessee, additions to the campus landscape includ-
and state, with the athletics department as a positive ed: Neyland Stadium north end zone upper deck, east
role model. side sky boxes and JumboTron, Lindsey Nelson
Under Hamilton’s leadership, Tennessee experi- Stadium, Goodfriend Tennis Center, Thornton Personal Information
enced its best year ever in fundraising in fiscal year Athletics Student Life Center, renovations to Tom Born: Aug. 13, 1963, in Brevard, N.C.
2004 and successfully completed the STEP UP cam- Black Track and the Tennessee Boat House. High School: Brevard High School
“I think Tennessee collectively has the best College: B.S. Accounting, Clemson
paign, exceeding the goal of $44.25 million by rais-
coaches in the nation and an athletics staff that’s ded- University 1985, MBA, Clemson
ing a record $48.61 million in the department’s first University 1988
comprehensive capital campaign. icated to supporting their endeavors,” Hamilton con- Professional Career: NCNB Corp., Tampa, Fla., 1985-
Hamilton previously filled the position of Senior tinued. “We have an outstanding support base that 86; Clemson IPTAY Club, 1986-
Associate Athletics Director for External Operations, gives us an opportunity to be successful on a nation- 88; Assistant Director, Wake
earning that promotion in September 2002, and has al level. I certainly want to keep that tradition mov- Forest Deacon Club, 1988-92; UT
ing forward, even though I know there are challenges Assistant Athletics Director,
been on the UT staff since 1992.
Development, 1992-96; UT
In his former senior associate athletics director’s always in front of us to remain at the top. Associate Athletics Director,
post, the title carried full responsibility for UT’s “It had been a goal of mine to become an athlet- Development & Marketing, 1996-
annual donors’ program as well as all capital and ics director at some period during my career. The 2002, UT Senior Associate
planned giving. He assumed additional responsibili- realization of that goal at the University of Tennessee Athletics Director, Development
& Marketing, 2002-03; UT
ties in 2002-03 for men’s basketball and athletics was the fulfillment that any athletics administrator
would hope to obtain.” Director of Athletics, 2003-present
marketing and promotional efforts. Wife: Elizabeth (Beth) Merrill Hamilton
Gifts to the Volunteer Athletics Scholarship Fund In addition to improving his management skills
Children: Madison and Matthew
45
Athletic Administration
Gary Wyant David Woodall Bill Myers
Executive Associate Senior Associate Chief Financial
Athletics Director Athletics Director Officer
Gary Wyant was named David Woodall, whose Bill Myers holds the
Executive Associate association with Tennessee position of Chief Financial
Athletics Director in August athletics traces back to his Officer for the UT men’s and
2002. He serves as the top service as football manager, women’s athletics depart-
aide to Athletics Director was named Senior Associate ments. Myers began his new
Mike Hamilton after four years as Senior Associate Athletics Director in August 2002. duties in September 2003.
Athletics Director and five years as chief of staff for Woodall's responsibilities through the years have He reports directly to Athletics Directors Mike
head football coach Phillip Fulmer. included such assignments as football administration, Hamilton and Joan Cronan, with oversight responsi-
Wyant combines the insight he gained as a football ticket coordination, game management, finance fund bilities in budgeting, coordination of accounting,
coach with the business acumen acquired in 15 years raising, souvenirs and concessions. financial and capital expenditures, management of
as a banker to assure the administrative processes A Jackson native, Woodall, 51, began his affilia- cash flow and risk management. He also handles
move along on schedule. tion with the athletics department as head football internal and external audits of financial information.
The Wichita, Kan., product oversees the daily manager for the 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1977 seasons. A Seymour native, Myers came to UT in July
operations of the athletics department and serves as Upon graduation from UT in 1975, Woodall stayed in 1998, serving two years as Assistant Director of
liaison between UT and both Adidas and Action school and completed his law degree in 1978. He Development. He managed the daily operations of
Sports Media. He was instrumental in the Thornton passed the bar exam for the State of Tennessee during the Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund, assisting in
Athletics Student Life Center project and currently is that year. ticket assignment and working with donors. He also
focusing his attention on a new aquatics center for the After three seasons as administrative aide for the oversaw the Collegiate Club and managed a network
Vols. football coaching staff, Woodall moved into ticket of 130 volunteers. He was Associate Director of
Gary starred as a multiple sports standout at East coordination at UT and served as Assistant Game Development from January 2000 to May 2001, over-
High School. He was a quarterback on the football Manager on the staff of Gus Manning. He coordinat- seeing the VASF and helping coordinate the Big
team, a regional high school wrestling champion in ed installation of the department’s computer ticketing Orange Caravan.
1957 and the state baseball batting champ in 1958. system in 1983 and later upgraded the network to Myers became Director of Annual Giving from
At Wichita State University from 1958-61, he include fund raising in 1987. May 2001 to August 2002, managing the VASF to an
played quarterback his freshman and sophomore sea- Woodall was promoted to Assistant Athletics all-time giving high of $13.26 million and overseeing
sons and defensive back his final two years. Wyant Director for Tickets and Finance in 1988 and became daily operations of the annual giving program. He
then went directly into college coaching the follow- an Associate Athletics Director for Event was named Assistant Athletic Director for
ing season and worked his way up to defensive coor- Management, Souvenirs, Concessions, Tickets and Development in August 2002, with oversight of the
dinator by 1965. Finance in 1996. office of Assistant Director of Development and five
His first stint at UT came as a defensive backfield Upon being named a Senior Associate, Woodall’s student workers in the Development Office.
coach from 1971-75. He left Knoxville for a job with duties began to encompass both the men’s and Myers is a 1992 UT graduate in business adminis-
Texas Tech in 1976 and closed out his coaching women’s departments, especially in the area of com- tration and finance, and earned his master’s degree
career one year later, after which he became affiliat- petition and service contracts and corporate partner from UT in education, human performance and sports
ed with a bank in Sparta, Tenn. Coaching stops prior agreements. studies in 1997.
to coming to Tennessee included serving as both an He is married to the former Rachel Keys of Gray,
assistant and defensive coordinator at Florida State and they have a 1-year-old daughter, Kate.
from 1966-69 and as a defensive secondary coach at
Georgia in 1970.
Gary and his wife, Betty, have three children,
Greg, Mike and Jennifer, and five grandchildren.
Personal Information
Born: April 21, 1970, in Knoxville, Tenn.
High School: Seymour High School
Personal Information College: University of Tennessee 1992;
Personal Information Born: Dec. 13, 1951, in Jackson, Tenn. Master’s, University of Tennessee
Born: March 10, 1940 in Wichita, Kan. High School: Jackson High School 1997
High School: Wichita East High School College: University of Tennessee 1975; J.D., Professional Career: Andersen Consulting, Nashville,
College: Wichita State University 1963 University of Tennessee 1978 1992-96; UT Assist. Dir. of
College Football: Quarterback and Safety, Wichita Professional Career: Football Aide 1979-82; Ticket Development 1998-2000; Assoc.
State 1958-61 Coordinator/Assistant Game Dir. of Development 2000-01; Dir.
Coaching Career: Wichita State 1962-65; Florida State Manager 1982-88; Assistant of Annual Giving 2001-02; Assist.
1966-69; Georgia 1970; Tennessee Athletics Director 1988-96; Ath. Dir. for Development 2002-03;
1971-75; Texas Tech 1976-77 Associate Athletics Director 1996- Chief Financial Officer 2003-present
Wife: Betty Huddleston Wyant 2002; Senior Associate Athletics Wife: Rachel Keys Myers
Children: Greg, Mike and Jennifer Director 2002-present Children: Kate
46
Athletic Administration
Brad Bertani David Blackburn Chris Fuller
Associate Athletics Assistant Athletics Assistant Athletics
Director Compliance Director Development Director Sales &
Marketing
Brad Bertani assumed the David Blackburn filled the
position of Associate Athletics Assistant Athletics Director Chris Fuller joined the UT
Director for Compliance in for Development position in staff in June as Assistant
February. August 2003. The 12-year ath- Athletics Director for Sales
Bertani, 35, came to UT from Marshall, where he held letics department veteran pre- and Marketing.
the same position since January 2002. Prior to his viously had served a five-year stint as Assistant AD for He accepted responsibility for cultivating corporate
Marshall employment, Bertani worked four years as a Football Administration, working closely with head partner relationships, developing and implementing sea-
membership services representative for the National coach Phillip Fulmer. son ticket and group sales and developing marketing and
Collegiate Athletic Association. A Loudon native, Blackburn’s duties revolve around promotional plans for men’s and women’s athletics.
the Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund’s annual giving Most recently, Fuller served as a consultant for the
Bertani served as an athletics compliance and aca-
program, including its network of volunteers and related Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green State
demic coordinator at the University of Detroit Mercy
activities. He is responsible for the operations of the University and Troy State University. Prior to that, he
from 1994-97, and before that spent six months as assis-
development office and donor services. served as vice president of collegiate marketing for the
tant to the compliance director at Ohio State University.
Blackburn, 38, graduated from UT in 1989 after serv- Cleveland Cavaliers.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science
ing two years as head football student manager. His first Fuller previously served as director of business oper-
from Denison University in 1991, and then completed a
full-time position on the football staff was as assistant ations and university services for ACC Properties, and
master’s in sports administration at Ohio University and
recruiting coordinator, followed by dual responsibilities was assistant sports marketing director at North
his law degree at Capital University in 1994.
as administrative assistant for football and manager of Carolina.
Bertani is married to the former Gretchen Harris of
recruiting compliance for all men’s teams. He graduated from Shepherd College in 1988 and
Columbus, Ohio. They have three children, Lydia, 7,
Blackburn is the father of a 7-year-old daughter, earned his master’s from West Virginia University in
Joey, 3, and Lindsey, 1.
Emma. 1992.
Chris John Currie Harris D. (Bud)
Besanceney Associate Athletics Ford
Assistant Athletics Director External
Associate Athletics
Director Tickets Operations
Director Media
Chris Besanceney joined John Currie was named Relations
the UTAD staff in September Associate Athletics Director
2004 as the Assistant Athletics for External Operations in A 39-year veteran of his
Director for Tickets. June after serving as Associate profession, University of
He is responsible for directing all aspects of depart- AD for Development since 2002. Tennessee graduate Bud Ford was promoted in April
mental ticket operations, including working closely with In August 2003, Currie’s responsibilities were 2000 to the position of Associate Athletics Director for
the marketing and development offices to promote sales expanded to include leadership of UT’s athletics mar- Media Relations. He was elected to the CoSIDA Hall of
and attendance, guaranteeing compliance with all state, keting and ticketing offices. In the 2003-04 fiscal year, Fame in May 2001.
university, NCAA and SEC regulations relating to the VASF donors, Vol ticket customers and corporate spon- Ford began his career as a part-time employee in the
ticket office, and handling all post-season service and sors invested more than $50 million in support of UT Vols publicity office while he completed undergraduate
sales. student-athletes. studies. He then pioneered the position of full-time
Besanceney served as the head athletic ticket manag- Currie first came to UT in 1997 as executive director Assistant SID in 1966 upon completion of his degree in
er for Michigan State University from 2000 until his of the VASF. After a two-year stint at Wake Forest, he retailing. For the next 35 years, he worked alongside
appointment at UT in 2004. He was responsible for all returned to the Vols in August 2000 as Assistant AD for CoSIDA Hall of Fame member Haywood Harris. In
ticketing, including post-season ticketing and donor Development. Currie also served as campaign director January 1988, Ford was promoted to Sports Information
seating for the Spartans. for the recently completed “STEP UP” campaign that Director and in March 1989 was named Assistant
Prior to that, he served as assistant ticket manager at exceeded its goal and reached a $48.6 million total. Athletics Director for Sports Information.
Michigan State and assistant ticket manager for the President of the SEC development directors for 2004- Ford works with an expanded staff of full-time and
University of Missouri-Columbia Athletic Ticket Office. 05, Currie earned his master’s in sports management student employees in meeting the needs of the media
Besanceney earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998 from UT and also is a 1993 Wake Forest University who cover the Vols. Under Ford’s direction, Tennessee’s
from Michigan State University, where he served four graduate. He and his wife, Mary Lawrence, have two publications have received more than 35 “Best in the
years as a football manager under coach George Perles. children, Jack and Virginia. Nation” honors.
The Knoxville native and his wife, Sandra, have two
children, Brent and Julie.
47
Athletic Administration
Bill Higdon Mike Rollo Tiffany
Assistant Athletics Associate Athletics Carpenter
Director Event Director Facilities Director
Management Public Relations
Mike Rollo, affiliated with
Bill Higdon was named in Vol athletics since his under-
Tiffany Utsman Carpenter
1992 as assistant athletics graduate days, was promoted
serves as Director of Public
director for event management. in September 2002 to
Relations for the UT Athletics
Higdon, a UT graduate, Associate Athletics Director
Department. In this position, she is responsible for
has been on the Vols staff since 1975, serving first as for Facilities. The job change ended Rollo’s 30-year
developing and implementing public relations strategy
football recruiting coordinator and then as senior admin- tenure with the UT athletic training staff.
for the department.
istrative assistant for Tennessee's football office. A Kingston native, Rollo was appointed head athlet-
The Bristol native previously served as account
Before coming to Tennessee, Higdon was on the staff ic trainer in August 1992 shortly after the death of Tim
supervisor for Atkinson Public Relations and as an
at Volunteer State Community College as assistant Kerin and served from 2000-02 as Assistant Athletics
account executive at The Ingram Group, both in
coach in baseball and basketball. Director for sports medicine. He worked with the Vols
Nashville. She also has assisted with the launch of the
A Knoxville native, Higdon earned a master’s degree basketball team from 1976-92 while advancing through
Nashville Predators and served as community and media
from Western Kentucky University, where he was an the ranks as student assistant trainer (1973-77), graduate
relations advisor for the American Basketball League’s
assistant coach on the 1971 NCAA Final Four team. assistant trainer (1977-80), assistant trainer (1980-86)
Nashville Noise.
Higdon is married to the former Susan Wolcott. They and associate head trainer (1986-92).
Carpenter is a 1996 UT graduate with a bachelor’s
have two children, Julie and David. Rollo’s current role uses his experience and organiza-
degree in public relations. She is married to Allen
tional abilities to lead the UT athletic facilities program,
Carpenter of Knoxville.
which currently is in the process of building, renovating
Tyler Johnson and expanding facilities benefiting 17 of UT’s 20 sports
teams. Scott Rabenold
Assistant Athletics Rollo, 47, earned his B.S. degree in education in 1977 Director
Director Operations and received an M.S. degree in 1981, both from UT. The Capital Support
Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society named him Trainer
Tyler Johnson was named of the Year in 2001. Scott Rabenold has been
Assistant Athletics Director
UT’s Director of Capital
for Operations in June 2002.
Support since October 2002,
He has served on the athletics
department staff since 1995. Carmen Tegano with an emphasis on athletics
Associate Athletics department fund raising.
Johnson, 35, has responsibilities that include manag-
A Montezuma, Iowa, native, Rabenold came to UT
ing the department's scholarship program, squad lists Director Administration
from the University of Memphis, where he spent 2001-
and other day-to-day operations.
02 as assistant AD for annual giving. He previously
He served most recently as associate director of the Carmen Tegano is
served as assistant director of the Wake Forest Deacon
Thornton Athletics Student Life Center in the areas of Associate Athletics Director
Club from 1998-2001.
academic advising and eligibility for football and base- for Administration. His pri-
The 1997 University of Iowa graduate played basket-
ball. He also had responsibility for building manage- mary responsibilities are man-
ball for the Hawkeyes from 1993-98, participating in
ment and supervision. agement of the baseball pro-
two NCAA tournaments. He earned his MBA from
Johnson is a 1994 graduate of the University of gram and working with the office of development in the
Drake University in 2000.
Wisconsin, La Crosse, with a degree in physical educa- area of fundraising and endowments from former stu-
Rabenold is married to the former Sarah Hotchkiss of
tion teaching and a minor in coaching competitive ath- dent-athletes.
Eldridge, Iowa. They have a 1-year-old son, Spencer.
letics. He earned his master's degree from UT in sport Tegano has been with the Athletics Department since
management in 1995. 1985 and was previously the Associate Athletics
Johnson's wife, Catherine, is an assistant athletic Director for Student Life. CONSULTANTS TO THE A.D.
trainer with the Lady Vols. Tegano holds a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where he
served as assistant athletics director before joining the
Tennessee staff. He coached at both the high school and
college levels prior to entering athletics administration
in 1980. Tegano is an adjunct professor at Tennessee and
has taught numerous courses in the area of athletics
administration and leadership.
He and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Doug Dickey Haywood Harris
Rachel and Mary Katherine.
Gus Manning
48
Broadcasting and Video Staff
Bob Kesling TENNESSEE VIDEO STAFF
Director of External Communications The Tennessee video staff, headed by TV/Media
Video Coordinator Barry Rice, provides a myriad of serv-
Veteran sports announcer Bob Kesling holds the ices to the athletics department.
Director of External Communications position in the The hard-working staff produces the Phillip Fulmer,
University of Tennessee Athletics Department. Buzz Peterson and Pat Summitt coaches shows. Those
The longtime sports anchor for Knoxville television programs air weekly during their respective seasons
station WBIR-TV and lead announcer for Southeastern throughout the state of Tennessee and are hosted by UT
Conference football and basketball games on the Director of External Communications Bob Kesling.
Jefferson-Pilot network was appointed to the job in 1999. “Inside the Orange” airs in the spring and focuses on
Barry Rice
Kesling's responsibilities entail doing the play-by-play announcing for Vols foot- TV Media Video UT’s highly successful spring sports.
ball and basketball and arranging other broadcasts for both men's and women's ath- Coordinator The UT video staff also gathers a variety of clips for
letics. In football, Kesling works with color commentator Tim Priest, former Vols inseason and postseason highlight videos.
defensive back, and sideline reporter Jeff Francis, a Vols quarterback in the 1980s. The staff works closely with the major television net-
Former UT basketball player Bert Bertelkamp is the color man for Big Orange works in securing game footage and provides weekly
men's basketball. satellite uplinks with coach and student-athlete inter-
Kesling also serves as the host of the Phillip Fulmer and Buzz Peterson televi- views.
sion shows and is host of Vol Calls, a weekly radio call-in program carried on Vol Rice also serves as the coordinating producer for the
Network stations. In 2002, Bob called first- and second-round NCAA basketball JumboTrons in UT athletics facilities, directing his staff
tournament action for Westwood One/CBS Radio. for the visual replays. He works closely with Host
Born in Texas, Kesling grew up in Kettering, Ohio. He turned south for his edu- Communications and the Vol Network in the production
cation, however, and wound up at UT, where he was a fullback on the junior varsi- of the Big Orange home video collection.
Link Hudson
ty football team. In 1972, he carried the ball nine times for 40 yards and caught one Videographer/Producer Rice captured an Emmy Award in 2001 for “Stripes,”
pass. a documentary on football officiating in the Southeastern
After graduation he went to Knoxville radio's WIVK and then switched to tele- Conference.
vision station WBIR as sports director in 1980. He was named Tennessee Link Hudson not only films and produces the coach-
Sportscaster of the Year in 2002, his fourth such honor. es shows, but also is hard at work in the edit bay piecing
He and his wife, Tami, are the parents of two girls, Allison and Melissa. Allison together video clips to produce the high-quality tapes
is a junior at Tennessee. seen at postseason banquets and other venues.
Sports Video Coordinator Joe Harrington handles all
the filming of football practices and games, and conducts
video exchange with upcoming opponents.
Kyle Payne works diligently in the field, filming vari-
ous athletics events on campus and on the road to help pro-
Kyle Payne
Visual Resource vide a video archive. He also assists Hudson in the editing
Specialist of video clips and production of tapes.
Tennessee Basketball On The Internet
The University of Tennessee boasts one of the
nation's best and most-visited collegiate athletics Web
sites -- UTSports.com. The site features daily updates
on each of UT's nine men's sports, contains video and
audio clips from the Vols coaches and student-athletes
and provides a link for UT fans to purchase official Vols
apparel and souvenirs at VolMall.com.
In addition to UTSports.com, Tennessee also pro-
vides two additional Web sites, PhillipFulmer.com and
Rick Starratt
Internet
BuzzPeterson.net. The sites take you behind the scenes
Communications of the UT football and men's basketball programs and
Director provides insight from the head coaches.
Rick Starratt was named UT’s Internet
Communications Director in September 2004 after
spending three years as Assistant Internet
Communications Director. A native of Norton, Mass.,
Starratt is a 1996 graduate of Wheaton College and
received his master’s in sport administration from UT
in 1998.
Jeff Muir is in his first year as Associate Internet
Communications Director and his ninth overall at the
Jeff Muir University of Tennessee. The 1993 Arkansas graduate
Associate Internet
Communications
spent eight years in UT’s Sports Information Office
Director before joining the Internet Communications Office. A
native of Jonesboro, Ark., Muir accompanied the Vols’
Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp enter their sixth season
calling the action for the Vol Radio Network.
baseball team to three NCAA Tournaments and the 2001 College World Series.
49
Tennessee Coaches
Greg Adkins Mike Bell Chuck Benson Dan Brooks Steve Caldwell John Chavis
Assistant Football Coach Assistant Baseball Coach Assistant Basketball Coach Assistant Football Coach Assistant Football Coach Assistant Head Football
Coach
Ed Conroy Al Daniel Rod Delmonico Norbert Elliott Michael Fancutt Chris Ferguson
Assistant Basketball Coach Director of Basketball Baseball Coach Assistant Track & Field Tennis Coach Associate Head Basketball
Operations Coach Coach
Phillip Fulmer Joe Hendee Jim Kelson Chris Mahony David Parrington Buzz Peterson
Football Coach Assistant Swimming Coach Golf Coach Associate Head Tennis Diving Coach Basketball Coach
Coach
Randy Sanders Larry Simcox Larry Slade Jimmy Ray Stephens Trooper Taylor
Assistant Football Coach Assistant Baseball Coach Assistant Football Coach Assistant Football Coach Assistant Football Coach
See individual
sport’s brochure or
UTSports.com for
biographical
information on
the coaches
John Trembley Pat Washington George Watts Bill Webb listed above.
Swimming Coach Assistant Football Coach Cross Country Coach Track & Field Coach
Assistant Track & Field Coach
50
Administrative and Clerical Support
Marzella Allen Debbie Archdale Kevin Avery Janie Bean Nancy Cowan Ken Duncan Deborah Golden Eddie Howell
Principal Secretary Principal Secretary Compliance Officer Admin. Services Principal Secretary Computer Support Principal Secretary Senior Programmer
Facilities Track & Cross Country Assistant Compliance Administration/Golf Swimming Analyst
Judy Jackson Donna Muir Sherry Parker Joy Postell Sandy Rucker Joe Whitney Rita Wilson Gene McCarter
Associate Director for Program Resource Administrative Assistant Spirit Coordinator Principal Secretary Sports Psychologist Sr. Admin. Services Manager Varsity Inn
Student Welfare Specialist/Tennis Baseball Operations Asst. Athletic Director Aramark Corporation
Development and Marketing
Claire Stone Scott Carter Jennifer Wiggins Allyson Gozdieski Rebecca Hobbs-Clowers
C Tina Haun Kathy Kersting Suzie Miller
Associate Director Assistant Director Associate Director Associate Director Program Res. Specialist Program Res. Specialist Principal Secretary Admin. Services
Development Development Annual Giving Sales/Marketing Development/Marketing Development Assistant Development
Business Office & Ticketing
Danny Burnley Mary Underwood Debbie Maxey Joy Bowlin Linda Chatham Laura Fox Jill Mayfield Julie Raines
Assistant Ticket Assistant Ticket Accounting Manager Admin. Services Accounting Clerk Data Integrity Clerk Data Integrity Clerk Accounting Assistant
Manager Manager Assistant Business Office Ticket Office Ticket Office Cashier
Valuri Reid Alice Sampsell Karen Seal Ann Smith Lynn Sykes
Accounting Clerk Senior Budget Assistant Data Integrity Clerk Accounting Clerk Admin. Services
Ticket Office Assistant Accounting
Sports Information
John Painter Craig Pinkerton Tom Mattingly Susie Treis Hillary Burress
Associate SID Football Associate SID Director Principal Secretary Senior Secretary
Basketball Special Publications Sports Information Broadcasting
51
Event Management
David Elliott Bill Whitesell Charles Oliver Chad Culver Angie Doyle
Coordinator Event Sr. Admin. Services Administrative Administrative Support Program Res. Specialist
Management Assistant Assistant/Events Assistant Event Management
Concessions
Jim Bletner Phil Blackstock Sue Snavely Jarrod Atkins Mark Merritt Doug Ogle
Director of Concessions Associate Director Admin. Services Asst.
Concessions Concessions
Spirit Squads
Front Row (L to R): Kyle Sain, Holly Simmons, Melea Shatley, Shawn Manners, Chariti Barton, Megan Booker, Jessica Frazier, Christia Brinkley, Sara Mynatt, Jessie Roller,
Amanda Goodwin, Katie Hutchison, Jacqueline Hughes, Craig Potter. Second Row (L to R): Dru Kaegi, Justin Chaney, Simon Smart, Leslie Lahti, Brittany Bailes, Tiffany Ryan,
Sarah Mikels, Lauren Marino, Larryn Mathis, Katie Hill, Heather Speaks, Magan Johnson, Sarah Hayes, Lindsey Smith, JC Henry, Ben Endsley. Third Row (L to R): Justin
Medford, Tiffany Bennett, Codi Barthel, dance coach Julie Barton, Saskia Lindsey, Smokey Josh Lay, Ashley Wilson, head coach Joy Postell, graduate assistant Whitt Morehead,
Emily Jokisch. Fourth Row (L to R): Frank Forrestt, Matt Elliott, Katie Fear, Nick Sanjines, Chelsea Bares, Ben Johnson, Adam Vicars, Josh Baggett, assistant coach Eric Counts,
Jon Musick, Adam Wade, Jeremy Black, Erin Preston, Cole Goins, Maci Stephens, Aubrey Hooper, Will Martin. Not Pictured: assistant coach Andra Hutchins
52